Marvel Productions

Marvel Productions (1980-1993)
New World Animation (1993-1996)
Industry Television and movie studio
Fate Dormant (Intellectual properties acquired by Saban Entertainment)
Predecessor DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
Founded 1981
Defunct 1996
Headquarters Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Key people
Products Television programs
Television specials
Theatrical films
Parent

Marvel Productions Ltd. (later called New World Animation) was a television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.[1] It later became a subsidiary of New World Entertainment and eventually of News Corporation (Fox Entertainment Group).

Originally an animation studio, Marvel Productions produced notable television shows, motion pictures, and television specials such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, My Little Pony: The Movie, The Transformers: The Movie, The Incredible Hulk, and G.I. Joe: The Movie.

Most of the productions of Marvel Productions are now owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Background

DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (1963–1981)

The company began in 1963 as DFE Films and was sold to Cadence Industries, Marvel Comics Group's owner,[2] in 1981[3] after DFE founder and company executive Friz Freleng departed the company to return to his former job at Warner Bros. Animation. Freleng's business partner and DFE co-founder David H. DePatie continued to work for the company under the Marvel banner for several years until his retirement.[4]

History

Marvel Productions (1981–1993)

Marvel Productions opened its Los Angeles studio in 1981.[3] In 1984, Margaret Loesch joined Marvel Productions as President and Chief Executive Officer.[5] MCG was owned from 1968 by Cadence Industries Corporation and was incorporate as Marvel Entertainment Group (MEG) and sold in 1986 to New World Pictures.[6] With New World having cash flow problems, MEG was sold in January 1989 to Andrews Group, a MacAndrews and Forbes subsidiary, owned by Ronald Perelman. However, Marvel Productions was kept by New World and placed in its television business.[6] MP moved their offices from Van Nuys to West Los Angeles in May 1989.[1] New World's problems continued, which led them to also be acquired by the Andrews Group within the year.[7] Loesch left for Fox Kids in 1990.[8] In December 1992, New World formed two new divisions, New World Family Filmworks and New World Action Animation, to increase production to the growing family market by $20 million and would operated under Marvel Productions President Rick Ungar.[9][10][11]

New World Animation (1993–1996)

Marvel Productions was renamed New World Animation in November 1993.[12] In 1994, Marvel and New World started up Marvel Films including Marvel Films Animation.[6][13][14][15] New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban (X-Men), and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man) each produced a Marvel series for television.[16] Tom Tataranowicz was in charge of production and development, studio chief and executive producer during its New World Animation period.[17]

New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation were sold along with the rest of New World by Andrews Group to News Corporation/Fox as announced in August 1996.[18] At the same time, Saban secured rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil and Silver Surfer and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over seven years.[19]

Film catalog ownership

In 1996, Fox Children's Productions merged with Saban Entertainment to form Fox Kids Worldwide bringing the Marvel Productions, Marvel Films Animation, and New World Animation libraries to the Fox canon.[20][21][22]

With The Walt Disney Company's purchase of Fox Family in 2001, the Saban/Fox Kids library, including the Marvel Productions, Marvel Films Animation, and New World Animation libraries, went with it.[23][23][24][24] As a result, Disney now holds the home video and broadcast rights to virtually all Marvel and New World animated programs produced during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as all Marvel series produced by predecessor company DePatie-Freleng (the 1978 Fantastic Four revival and Spider-Woman) and Grantray-Lawrence Animation (The Marvel Super Heroes and the 1967 Spider-Man series). Disney, via their ownership of the Muppets franchise, also owns the Muppet-related programs which were co-produced with Jim Henson Productions. On December 31, 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, reunifying the two film libraries under the same corporate banner.[25][26]

The only exceptions are:

List of shows, specials and movies

Marvel Properties

as New World Animation

Henson Properties

Note: All programs are co-productions with Henson Associates. Except where noted, the rights to these series are now held by The Muppets Studio, LLC, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.

Hasbro Properties

Note: All programs based on Hasbro properties were co-productions with Sunbow Productions. These programs are currently owned by Hasbro Studios.

Other properties

Executives

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Marvel Productions Plans Move to West Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times. 1989-05-02. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
  2. ↑ Mangel, Andy (May 1991). "Reel Marvel". In Jim Salicrup. Marvel Age Issue 100. Marvel Comics. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Marvel Grows into $100 Hulk" (jpeg). Variety. 17 September 1986. p. 92. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "DePATIE, David H.". ASIFA-Hollywood Cartoon Hall Of Fame. The International Animated Film Society: ASIFA-Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Margaret Loesch To Leave Position As President And CEO, Crown Media United States; Lana Corbi To Assume Post". Business Wire. the Free Library.com. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hicks, Jonathan P. (1988-11-08). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Marvel Comic Book Unit Being Sold for $82.5 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
  7. ↑ "MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc". Funding Universe. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Margaret Loesch Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo!. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "New World forms two new kidvid banners". Variety. December 8, 1992. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "New World Expands TV Program Activities". Los Angeles Times. December 9, 1992. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Roll Over, Michelangelo, It's The Mice". Newsweek. June 13, 1993. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  12. ↑ Freeman, Mike (November 1, 1993). [New world of animation: former Marvel Entertainment chief Rick Ungar will head new division concentrating on original animated series, including upcoming 'Stealth Warriors.' "New world of animation: former Marvel Entertainment chief Rick Ungar will head new division concentrating on original animated series, including upcoming 'Stealth Warriors.'"]. Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ "MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT AND AVI ARAD TO DEVELOP MEDIA PROJECTS". The Free Library.com. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  14. ↑ "John Semper on "Spider-Man": 10th Anniversary Interview". Marvel Animation Age. toonzone.net. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  15. ↑ Cawley, John. "Marvel Films Animation 1993-1997". Home of John Cawley. John Cawley. Archived from the original on May 22, 1012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Goldman, Michael. "Stan Lee: Comic Guru". Animation World Magazine. Animation World Network. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  17. ↑ Materna, Marisa (February 24, 2005). "Gang of Seven Goes Employee-Owned Route". Animation World Network. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "August Issue News Section:Time Warner-Turner Merger Approved and Fox to Take Over New World.". Animation World Magazine. August 1996. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  19. ↑ "August Issue News Section:Marvel Super Heroics To Continue On Fox Kids Network.". Animation World Magazine. August 1996. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "Fox Family Worldwide Inc". Saban. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  21. ↑ "Haim Saban, producer, in Hollywood, Washington, Israel". The New Yorker. May 10, 2010. p. 5. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  22. ↑ Hillier, Barry (November 1, 1996). "Fox Kids Worldwide is born". Kidscreen. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "News Corp. and Haim Saban Reach Agreement to Sell Fox Family Worldwide to Disney for $5.3 Billion". Saban. July 23, 2001. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 DiOrio, Carl (Oct 24, 2001). "Fox Family costs Mouse less cheese in final deal". Variety. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  25. ↑ "Disney to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4B". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  26. ↑ "Marvel Sets Date for Disney Vote". Los Angeles Business Journal. 2009-12-03. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  27. ↑ http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/corporate/2004/2004_0217_kermit.html
  28. ↑ Muppets
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Takara is the co-creator of Transformers and owner of the franchise and all related material in Japan (except for English license).
  30. ↑ "Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars Ep.1". YouTube. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  31. ↑ Anderson, Jack (January 11, 1985). "Young Astronaut Program Is Taking Off". The Tuscaloosa News (111). Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Rick Ungar, president of New World Animation since 1991". Broadcasting & Cable. August 28, 1995. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Gilroy, Dan (1986-09-17). "Marvel Now a $100 Million Hulk: Marvel Divisions and Top Execs" (jpeg). Variety. p. 81. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.

External links